Wiring devices are commonly present in industrial, commercial, and residential areas. As used herein, the term “wiring device” refers to faceplates, wallplates, coverplates, telephone plates, touch pads, dimmer slides, switches, circuit units, plugs, connectors, receptacles, and other similar devices, and may be current-carrying or noncurrent-carrying.
Wiring devices, such as switches, are generally touched by a number of people during normal daily traffic. As a result, the wiring devices are exposed to a number of microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, that may be carried by each person. In addition, some microorganisms can be airbourne and deposited onto the wiring devices. These microorganisms can be transferred from one user to another and result in the contraction of an infection or a disease. For instance, a nurse tending to a patient in a hospital room contacts a light switch in the room prior to washing his/her hands, thus exposing the light switch to one or more microorganisms. When the next person enters the room and he/she contacts the light switch, he/she will be exposed to the microorganisms present on the switch. As a result of the exposure, the person's contact could result in an infection or a disease.
Currently, wiring devices can be coated with a spray, such as a household cleaner, containing antimicrobial properties. The drawback to using sprays having antimicrobial properties is that they wear off over time and thus lose efficacy.